The New and Improved SPEW!
by DellyDaaa
Summary: Malfoy's unexpected interest in Hermione's attempt to revive her old house elf rights organization causes nothing but worry for Harry. Malfoy has to be up to something, right? So Harry joins in their efforts, determined to protect Hermione. Only, why is Malfoy suddenly really nice (not to mention really attractive)? Oh, and there will be baked goods. DRARRY. EIGHTHYEAR.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all! I know, I know, I've been terrible lately. Forgive me. But I've been itching to get this story out for some time now. So here it is! It's only going to be about six or seven chapters... I think. I haven't entirely finished writing it yet... oops! But, again, I'm excited! (Even though it is quite silly, really.) It was actually originally supposed to be a oneshot, however it totally got away from me, so here we are! So sorry if the scenes are cut weird for the first couple chapters, I tried to make it flow as smoothly as I could.**

 **So, I do realize the general idea for this story could have Dramione written all over it. But I like Drarry, so get over it :P And I like how it's turning out so far! I hope you guys do too! Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form. Anything you recognize is NOT mine.**

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 _The New and Improved S.P.E.W.!_

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Chapter One

Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table with Ron and Hermione on their first morning back at Hogwarts, his mind on nothing but the plethora of delicious smelling breakfast foods before him. His mouth watered as he reached towards the platter of bacon. Before he could even snatch a piece from the pile, he heard Hermione inhale deeply. It was a telltale sign that an impassioned speech was coming his and Ron's way.

Sure enough, she began, "You know, I've been thinking... The continuing mistreatment of house elves by the majority of the wizarding world is unacceptable. Even with the war being over, these creatures are still horribly oppressed. They receive no wages for their hard work and dedication, and they lack any sort of representation in the Ministry of Magic. It's time for us to act. It's time to revive S.P.E.W. and take a stand!"

"Not this again," Ron groaned. "Hermione, I swear, if you leave me out of all this _spew_ stuff, I won't ask you for any help with my homework for a month."

"It's not called _spew_ , Ron. It's S-P-E-W! The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare!"

"Whatever it's called, I want nothing to do with it," Ron declared. "Besides the fact that the house elves are _happy_ , nothing we could do would ever change anything."

"Well, _I_ think–"

"Harry, would you please back me up here?"

Harry slowly chewed and swallowed the bite of bacon in his mouth, hesitant to join the conversation. He knew he couldn't avoid it forever, but Hermione's wide, pleading eyes made him not want to answer honestly. He knew she would not like what he had to say on the subject

When he could stall no longer, he said, "I'm not saying it's right, but I agree with Ron." He smiled sheepishly at Hermione's crestfallen expression before giving his explanation. "The house elves seem pretty content with the way things are now. Besides, what could we realistically accomplish? It just seems like a hopeless cause to me."

"If we all work together I know we can accomplish a lot!" Hermione insisted. "And the house elves don't know any other way of life. We need to show them that they could have so much more!"

"Just forget it, Hermione," Ron callously shut her down. "There's no point."

Her eyes narrowed. Harry had the decency to feel ashamed, and he was sure he looked it too. Ron, however, scowled defiantly right back at her.

"Fine," Hermione snapped. She grabbed her schoolbag and stood up from her seat. "If you two won't help me, I can do it myself!"

At that, Ron's face finally relaxed. With a touch of concern, he asked, "Where are you going? Class isn't for another half hour, and you haven't eaten anything."

"I'm going to the library. And I'm not hungry." With that, she stormed off.

Harry and Ron could only stare guiltily at each other for a moment. Eventually, Harry broke the silence.

"D'you think we should go after her?"

Ron shook his head. "Nah. If I've learned anything after three months of dating her, it's that it's best to let her cool off when she's angry. And books can only help."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, that sounds like Hermione." He was soon laughing even harder at his friend's expense. "She's angry at you a lot then, huh? If that's what you've learned from being her boyfriend."

Ron's ears turned a deep shade of red. "Shut it," he muttered.

"Fine," Harry sighed. "Well then, there's no reason we can't enjoy a nice breakfast before Potions."

Ron groaned at the mention of their least favorite class. "I suppose you're right."

They chatted as they ate, all thoughts of S.P.E.W. gone from their minds.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Harry and Ron had only taken half a step into the Potions classroom when they both came to a sudden halt.

After a moment of gaping at the scene they had walked into, Ron snarled, "What the fuck?!"

Harry blinked hard twice, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

His peers were trickling into the room, taking their seats and chatting with their friends. Professor Slughorn sat behind his desk at the front of the room, looking his usual jovial self. All of that was fine. But one thing was very, very wrong with the entire picture.

Hermione was seated at a table closest to Professor Slughorn, her back to the door. In front of her stood Draco Malfoy. His palms were flat on the table between them, his upper body leaning in towards Hermione as they held what seemed to be a polite, almost friendly, conversation. They weren't looking at each other, but at a piece of parchment Hermione held in her hands.

Simultaneously, Harry and Ron jumped into action. The two all but sprinted to the front of the room.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" Ron growled.

Hermione jerked in her seat, obviously not having seen Harry and Ron approaching. Malfoy, on the other hand, appeared calm as he straightened up and tucked his hands casually into his trouser pockets, the smallest hint of a smirk gracing his face.

"Relax, Weasley. I was just leaving." He turned his attention back to Hermione and pointed at the piece of parchment now lying on the table. "May I keep that? I'm quite interested to know more about your organization."

"Of course!" She handed him the parchment.

"Thank you, Granger."

"No problem, Malfoy!"

As Malfoy turned to Harry and Ron again, his smirk was more pronounced. With plainly forced politeness, he muttered, "Potter. Weasley." He didn't wait for them to respond. He simply turned away and headed to the table in the back of the room where his friends Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson sat. They looked about as bewildered as Harry felt by the situation.

No one said a word as Harry and Ron took their seats next to Hermione. She wore a pleased smile, while Ron was silently, yet visibly, fuming. Harry decided he needed to address what had just happened.

"Er... Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Why were you talking to _Malfoy_?"

Her smile widened into a grin. "Well, when I left the Great Hall, I went to the library and made some new S.P.E.W. pamphlets. I got to class a little early to talk to Professor Slughorn about the Society and hopefully gain his support. Malfoy and his friends were already here, and when he heard what I was saying to Slughorn, he came over to ask me more about it. I think he really liked the idea!"

Ron's scathing response was immediate. "He's messing with you."

Hermione shot him a heated look. "I really don't think he is. I think he might actually want to get involved!"

"Come on, Hermione," Harry said gently, so as to not upset her. "This is _Malfoy_ we're talking about."

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "And why would you even want _his_ help anyway?"

"Malfoy was perfectly nice just now!" Hermione said. "And the house elves need all the support they can get! Just because _you two_ can't be bothered doesn't mean others don't care!"

"Bullshit," Ron spat angrily. "I'm sure he's still the same slimy snake he's always been. Don't let him fool you."

He had obviously said the wrong thing. Hermione appeared ready to go off on him, but then Slughorn stood up and began class. Instead of a verbal attack, she angled her chair away from both Harry and Ron, crossed her arms, and tutted bitterly. She ignored them for the rest of class.

Personally, Harry agreed with Ron. There was no way Malfoy had any genuine interest in house elf rights. His eyes darted over to the table in the back where Malfoy now sat with his friends. As if sensing Harry's gaze, Malfoy looked up and caught his eye. He did nothing more than quirk an eyebrow, but it made Harry's blood boil. Harry turned his attention back to Professor Slughorn, but all he could think about was Malfoy, and how to keep the insufferable prat from getting to Hermione.

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"Ron! Harry!"

Harry and Ron looked up from their Transfiguration essays. Hermione was beaming as she rushed across the Gryffindor common room and took the vacant seat next to her boyfriend.

"What's up?" Ron asked warily.

Hermione's expression turned smug. "I was just in the library, and Malfoy came to talk to me."

Ron groaned. Harry's hands clenched into tight fists in his lap at the mention of the Slytherin.

"Talk to you about what?" Harry asked.

Her excitement was palpable. "He said he's been thinking about everything I told him about S.P.E.W.. And after reading my pamphlet, he decided he wants to become a member!"

Harry's jaw dropped. Ron face turned a nasty shade of green, like he was going to be sick.

"You're joking," the two friends said in unison.

"No I'm not," Hermione replied. "He gave me two Sickles for a badge, _and_ four more Sickles for badges for Zabini and Parkinson!"

" _You're joking!_ " Harry and Ron exclaimed, again in unison.

She disregarded the horrified expressions on both their faces. "He and I decided our first meeting will be this Sunday at two o'clock." She shot them both a stern look before adding, "You two are welcome to attend, of course. We hope to see you there."

Harry and Ron could only gawk as Hermione stood back up and skipped gleefully away, disappearing up the staircase to the girls dormitories.

" _Malfoy_ ," Ron spat out once she was gone. "She talks about him like they're _buddies_ now."

"Yeah," Harry said. "It's fucking weird."

Ron slumped in his seat, eyes clamped shut, and began rubbing his temples with both of his index and middle fingers. After some time, he gulped and said in a hoarse voice, "I think we should go to this meeting."

"You reckon?" Harry replied incredulously.

"I mean, we need to keep an eye on Malfoy, right? And the fact that his friends are going to be there makes it even worse. I don't want them doing anything to Hermione."

Harry nodded slowly. "I suppose you're right."

Harry struggled to finish his homework after that. His mind was swimming with images of the blond bastard, who he imagined to be raising a mocking eyebrow and smirking disdainfully at him. He needed to figure out what Malfoy was doing and put a stop to it.

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"Welcome everyone! I call the first meeting of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare to order!"

Harry fought hard to keep from rolling his eyes. This _everyone_ consisted of only six people: Hermione, Ron, Malfoy, Zabini, Parkinson, and himself. Harry sat with Ron to his right, Parkinson to his immediate left, and Zabini next to her. They were all completely silent, so there was no need to _call order_. Malfoy stood at the front of the room with Hermione, as if he too was running this meeting. However, he stood a few steps behind her and to the side, making it clear she was in charge.

From his left, Harry heard Parkinson make a noise that sounded like, " _hmmpff_." It was quite clear she wanted to be here even less than Harry did. He inadvertently met her eye. She glared back at him.

"Don't you look at me, Potter," she hissed under her breath.

"What are you even doing here?" Harry demanded in a hushed voice.

"I'm here because Draco insisted," she replied with a derisive snort. "Merlin knows why."

Harry frowned. "You must have some idea why he's suddenly showing an interest in elf rights."

She sighed deeply. "I have no idea. He does seem to genuinely want to take part in Granger's stupid little club, but I can't figure out why." When she realized all she had just said, her eyes sharpened once more. "Why am I talking to you?"

Harry shrugged. "Beats me." He was determined to find out more though. "He really hasn't told you why–"

"Potter." Malfoy's voice brought Harry's attention back to the front of the room. "Granger is trying to conduct this meeting. I would have thought our _Savior_ would have more respect for his friend than to be talking over her."

Harry said nothing, but didn't back down from the intense staring match he now held with Malfoy. They only looked away from each other when Hermione spoke again.

"Thank you, Malfoy." Harry was quite surprised when Hermione shot him a glare, making him feel incredibly guilty.

"Of course," Malfoy said. "Please proceed."

"Back to what I was saying," Hermione went on. "I think I will start by reading our manifesto, so we all know what our aims and goals are here."

As Hermione read aloud from her S.P.E.W. pamphlet, Harry's thoughts drifted. It took him some time to realize his focus was on Malfoy. He studied the blond closely, Hermione's voice becoming white noise in the back of his mind.

This was the first time he was looking at Malfoy properly since he had gone to Malfoy Manor over the summer to return his Hawthorn wand. At that time, Malfoy had been frail and weak. He had been quiet and timid as Harry handed over the wand. Harry hadn't had much to say either, but he had managed more than the two words Malfoy had been able to string together. _Thank you_. To Harry, that was the best he could have hoped for, and he did appreciate the sincere gratitude.

Now, Malfoy looked much healthier. His hair was worn loosely, and had grown out so that the platinum locks curled around his ears and framed his face in a flattering way. A stream of sunlight entering the room through a window brightened flecks of silver in his deep gray eyes that Harry had never noticed before. He stood tall and proud; the confidence he exuded was unlike the arrogance he had displayed in his younger years. His facial features were still somewhat pointed, but he had grown into them over the years. Harry was surprised to find himself thinking Malfoy was extraordinarily good-looking.

Over the past few months, Harry had come to realize that he was not straight. He found blokes far more attractive than he had ever found any girl. He and Ginny had amicably decided not to get back together once he had come to terms with this. Of course, he had shared this part of himself with Ron and Hermione, and they were as supportive as they had ever been.

Even though he knew he appreciated a handsome bloke, he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he was now thinking this way about _Malfo_ y. That was something else entirely.

Harry shook his head sharply, bringing himself back to reality at exactly the right moment. Hermione had just finished reading the manifesto.

"Alright. So I have a few ideas as far as where we can begin," she said. "First, I think we should write to both the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and the Minister of Magic about the lack of representation for house elves in our government. I also want to talk to the house elves themselves, at least the ones here at Hogwarts to start. We can explain to them what we're trying to do, and show them that they deserve so much more than what they have settled for."

"If I may, Granger," Malfoy interjected while Hermione paused to take a deep breath following her rapidly delivered speech.

"Go ahead, Malfoy," she said with a nod to him.

"You're thinking big, and I admire that," he began, to which Hermione smiled brightly. "However..." With that one word, Hermione's face fell slightly. "I think the best thing to do in this situation is start small. I think writing to the ministry and going to the house elves directly are both great ideas, but not things we should do right away. If we start out so huge, we might overwhelm the house elves to the point that they won't even consider fighting for a change. And without their support, well, we've really got nothing."

Harry listened closely to Malfoy's every word. It sounded like he had put a lot of thought into this. In addition, even though he was disagreeing with Hermione's method, he wasn't shutting her down completely, or being rude in any way. It seemed like he was trying not to upset her. Harry was baffled by his behavior.

Hermione considered Malfoy's points, not responding immediately. Shockingly, it was Ron who decided to jump in.

"Oh yeah?" he barked at Malfoy. "And I suppose _you_ have some _brilliant_ ideas, huh?"

"Ideas, yes," Malfoy said through a small smirk. "Whether or not they are _brilliant_ has yet to be seen."

For the first time since they had all entered the room, Zabini made a sound. He snorted in amusement. "Well then, Draco, do tell us. What are these potentially brilliant ideas?"

For a split second, Malfoy flashed a wicked grin. He quickly schooled his expression before giving his simple answer. "A baking contest."

Hermione gave him a calculating look and repeated, "A baking contest?"

Malfoy nodded once in confirmation. "We get together as many of our peers as we can and hold a baking competition. We divide into groups, depending on how many people we can get, and each group makes a baked good. One group bakes cookies, one bakes a pie, and so on. On the other side, there will be groups of house elves making these same baked goods. We then compare to see which group's treat tastes best. Perhaps we could get the professors involved by letting them be the judges."

Harry scoffed. "And what exactly does that have to do with house elf rights?"

Malfoy's eyes locked with Harry's in a challenging stare-down. Harry suddenly felt hot and uncomfortable, but refused to look away.

"First, it will make people aware of S.P.E.W.. It will be a fun competition in which realistically anyone can participate and succeed. However, these participants will learn that it's not such an easy task. I know for a fact that the majority of the student body have never cooked or baked a day in their lives. They will struggle, and the house elves will do much, much better. It will get people realizing they underestimate house elves, and take them for granted.

"As far as the house elves go, I'd bet they'd be more likely to agree to this because we are asking nothing more of them than to join in on a friendly activity. If you've ever been to the kitchens, you know they would do just about anything to make us happy. I think, with the right wording, we could convince them take part. And perhaps, throughout the course of the contest, they will start to see all they do and provide for the wizarding world. They will be taking part in something alongside wizardkind, and they might just start to realize that they can be considered equals."

Harry could not think of an argument to make, nor could anyone else it seemed.

Malfoy confident demeanor never faltered. "Well?"

"I..." Hermione finally said, but trailed off. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I think it's brilliant. I mean, you're right. We need some credibility first, and this will help with that. Plus, the house elves would probably be less against this than if we went down to the kitchens today and tried to start a revolution."

"Exactly," Malfoy said with a nod of his head.

"How will we fund this, though?" Hermione questioned. "We'll need a lot of supplies. Do we ask for two Sickles to participate?"

"I don't think we should ask for money right away if we can avoid it," Malfoy replied. "I was thinking we can ask Professor McGonagall to use the resources here. There are certainly enough ingredients and baking pans and really everything else we'd need in the Hogwarts kitchens. If people want to donate, they can. But we shouldn't make money a requirement to join."

"Do you think Professor McGonagall will agree to that?"

"I do believe we might be able to persuade her, yes," Malfoy said with conviction. "You can leave that to me."

"Alright then," Hermione agreed, her expression one of pure determination. "We'll do it. I'll make some fliers to hand out and hang up around the castle."

"I can help you with that," Malfoy offered.

Hermione smiled. "Great! And the rest of you, start telling as many people as you can. I really think we can get people on board here!"

Harry, Ron, Zabini and Parkinson were still too stunned to find words.

"Alright, I think we're done for today!" Hermione declared. "I'll let you all know when Malfoy and I have more details worked out, and what you can do to help make this a success!"

She started packing away her things while chatting with Malfoy. Harry ignored Malfoy's friends and turned to Ron, who was slowly shaking his head in disbelief.

"Bloody hell..." he muttered.

 _'Bloody hell' is right..._ Harry thought as he and Ron finally moved to exit the room.

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"Potter... Hey, Potter... Wait up!"

It was a couple weeks after the first (and so far only) S.P.E.W. meeting. Harry was making his way to Gryffindor tower alone when he heard the female voice and the rushed footsteps behind him. Reluctantly, he stopped and turned around. To his surprise, he found both Parkinson and Zabini trailing after him.

"What do you want?" Harry said, a little more harshly than he intended.

"Relax, Potter," Zabini said, holding his hands up defensively. There was a sly smirk on his face though. "We mean no harm."

Harry sighed and repeated, more calmly this time, "What do you want?"

"It's Draco," Parkinson sighed. "We're worried about him."

Harry wanted to laugh, but refrained. "And why is that my problem?"

"Because," Zabini snapped. "We think your friend Granger is driving him into madness."

Harry scoffed, "Yeah right. If anything, Malfoy's driven Hermione insane. He's supporting all this house elf stuff. It's made her convinced she's going to change the world."

"Please, Potter," Parkinson spat out. "You know Granger has always thought she's going to change the world. No. Draco's the one going crazy here."

This _was_ all very odd, Harry already knew, since this _was_ Malfoy they were talking about. In the case of Hermione, it made much more sense. It really _was_ like Malfoy was going mad. What could have caused such a dramatic change of heart in him?

As Harry thought more about it, a horrifying thought occurred to him. A thought that could potentially explain Malfoy's uncharacteristic behaviors since the start of the school year.

"You don't think... Does Malfoy has a thing for Hermione or something? But he must know she's with Ron, and she would never–"

"Oh calm down, you idiot," Parkinson said through a wave of giggles. "Granger is _not_ Draco's type."

Harry felt a surge of protectiveness for Hermione flow through him. "Why not? Because she's muggleborn?"

"No. Because she's a girl," Zabini stated bluntly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

It took Harry a second to register what he had just heard. He felt heat rise in his face as he sputtered, "M-Malfoy's gay?"

"Jeez, you really aren't the brightest, are you?" Zabini chuckled.

"I-I didn't kn–"

"Irrelevant, Potter!" Pansy snapped at him. "What we're saying is this needs to stop."

"I agree," Harry said, trying to push away that one thought now stuck in his head. _Draco Malfoy is gay..._ "However, I don't think we should try to do anything about it."

"Why the hell not?" Pansy demanded.

"Look," Harry said, "I don't know about Malfoy, but I do know Hermione. If we try to stop her, she'll just become more set on doing it. No, I think the best choice is to lay low. Go along with it, and be there when it crashes and burns. When that happens, she might give it up for good."

"But what about Draco?" Zabini asked.

Harry frowned. "You two really don't know why he's doing this, do you?"

"Like I told you last week," Parkinson growled, " _no we don't._ He hasn't explained anything to us. He just brushes us off whenever we ask."

"Well, I know how I'm handling this, because I know Hermione. Whatever you want to do about Malfoy is up to you, and I want nothing to do with it."

Parkinson crossed her arms and looked like she was trying hard not to stomp her foot in frustration. Both Slytherins turned their backs on him and began walking away. Harry thought he was in the clear, but then Parkinson turn her head to yell at him over her shoulder.

"Have fun picturing Draco naked!" The laughter from her and Zabini rang through the corridor until they disappeared.

Harry remained frozen where he stood. Sure, he had been slightly thrown off from finding out Malfoy was gay. But he certainly wasn't picturing the blond naked. What a preposterous idea! He closed his eyes, keeping them tightly shut for a minute.

Okay, _now_ he was picturing Malfoy naked.

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 **TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, here's the next part! Thank you for all the lovely reviews, you guys are the best :D I hope you like this too, although I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it myself... anyway thanks and enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter whatsoever. Anything you recognize is NOT mine.**

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Chapter Two

"Welcome back!" Hermione announced once the same group of six was gathered inside the classroom they had used for the first S.P.E.W. meeting.

Harry took his seat between Ron and Parkinson, determined not to so much as even glance at Malfoy.

Sure, he had previously admitted to himself that he found Malfoy attractive. _Very_ attractive, in fact. But his mind had been a wreck for the past month, ever since Zabini and Parkinson had told him Malfoy was gay. He couldn't figure out why. It wasn't like he was interested in Malfoy for anything more than eye-candy. What did it matter if Malfoy liked blokes too?

Fortunately, he had not had much interaction with the blond lately. He would see him in their few shared classes, in the corridors, and in the Great Hall, but they never said a word to each other. Still, every time he caught a glimpse of Malfoy, his traitorous mind would run wild. He only hoped he could keep himself composed now during this meeting.

"Malfoy and I have decided that we will hold the baking competition on the first Saturday after term ends," Hermione informed them. "This way it won't interfere with classes. From what I've gathered, most students are planning to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays. Hopefully, this will help get us enough participants. Malfoy," she gestured to where he was once again standing a little ways behind her and to the side, "would you like to tell everyone what you've accomplished?"

Malfoy stepped forward and cleared his throat. "I've spoken with Professor McGonagall, and she has consented to letting us use any school resources we need to carry out our event. I have also talked to every house elf in Hogwarts, and was successful in getting twenty-four of them to agree to take part in our contest. That's roughly a quarter of all the house elves employed by Hogwarts. Not as high a percentage as I'd hoped for, but still a respectable start I think."

Harry had to admit he was impressed. He couldn't picture Draco Malfoy going around to chat with every house elf in the school, or getting any of them to agree to take part in this plan.

"That being said," Malfoy continued, "I believe the house elves should work in groups of two. Us students, however, should work in groups of three. I know the house elves will do better, even with a smaller number of them in each group. It will emphasize even more so how much hard work they do, and how well they do it while getting nothing in return."

Grudgingly, Harry admitted to himself that Malfoy was making good points. It seemed reasonable so far, especially considering he had already gotten a decent number of house elves on board.

Malfoy went on, "If we decide there will be two house elves to a groups, we will have twelve groups. If we also decide there will be three students to each of our groups, we will need a total of thirty-six students in order to form the same number of groups. If we count ourselves as six of those thirty-six, then we need at least thirty others to sign up."

"Wait a minute," Ron interjected. " _We_ are participating in the baking?"

For whatever reason, it had not occurred to Harry that he would be taking part in the actual contest either. If the sour expressions on Zabini's and Parkinson's faces were any indication, they had thought the same.

"Of course you are, Ron," Hermione said. "You're part of the organization running the event. It would look terrible if you didn't join in."

She was right, of course. Harry sighed, accepting his fate. He then voiced the other question on his mind. "Do you really think thirty people is a realistic goal? Will we be able to get that many people to sign up?"

"I'm glad you asked that, Potter," Malfoy replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "That's where you come in."

"Excuse me?" Harry knew his face must have blanched. He wanted to do the bare minimum here, but it sounded like Malfoy had other plans for him.

"Well, Harry," Hermione took over gently. "You know if we put you as the face of recruitment more people are likely to sign up."

"What makes you think that?" Harry asked, horrified. He didn't like the sound of being _the face of recruitment_.

"Face it, Potter," Zabini chimed in. "As our _Savior,_ people will do whatever you tell them to do."

Unfortunately, it was a valid point, as much as Harry despised that fact. His jaw clenched, and he clamped his eyes shut. He thought about Hermione, his best friend, and how badly she wanted to make this work. He inhaled deeply through his nose to keep himself calm.

"What does being the face of recruitment involve?" he asked, bracing himself for the worst.

"Not much, really," Hermione replied innocently. "You know, just showing your support, talking to people about the contest... and manning the sign up table in the entrance hall every weekend until the event."

Again, he had to take a deep breath to contain the outburst that was dying to escape him. He was struggling to remember why he loved Hermione so much. He absolutely did _not_ want to do this, but he forced himself accept that he could not disappoint her. Since he did not have a single positive thing to say about this, he decided staying silent was the best course of action.

Until Hermione added, "Don't worry, Malfoy has offered to help you with that."

" _What?!_ "

He hoped he came across alarmed and angered by that piece of information. In reality, he was now much more interested in this assignment. Having Malfoy help him would force them to be closer than they had ever been before. The idea should have been terrifying to Harry, but he only found it more than a little appealing.

He knew Malfoy was a prat. He knew the damn Slytherin would likely drive him mad if they had to spend any amount of time together. But all his inappropriate thoughts about Malfoy from the past month were now in the forefront of his mind. Because damn, did Malfoy's hair look like silk, soft to the touch were Harry to run his fingers through it. And Malfoy's pink lips looked so inviting, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss him.

Harry shook his head sharply, coming out of his scattered thoughts. He tried to mask his true feelings by glowering at Malfoy. He couldn't make it obvious that he _liked_ the idea of the two of them working together.

"Why do you even want to help me?" His tone was accusing. However, once the question left his mouth, he realized he was quite eager to hear Malfoy's answer to it.

Malfoy's perfect mouth curved into his signature smirk. "You see, Potter, you may have been lucky enough to defeat the Dark Lord, and you may have a pretty face, but you're going to need some brains backing you up if we want people to commit to this by signing up. Otherwise, you'll likely find yourself with nothing more than adoring fans lining up at our table, hoping for a bit of attention from the famous Harry Potter."

Harry gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the _pretty face_ comment. "That's exactly why I'd rather not have to do this."

"Don't you see, Harry?" Hermione said. "Malfoy's presence will create a balance. People will initially be interested because you're involved, then Malfoy will come in to provide the information and talk them into joining. You really won't have to do much at all, Malfoy will be doing most of the work."

"If that's his role, then why can't you help me instead, Hermione?" Harry asked, strictly to keep up the pretense that he was dead set against working with Malfoy.

"Potter, no one would take you and Granger seriously," Parkinson jumped in. "No one would bat an eye because you're friends. Everyone knows you and Draco have history, and the fact that it's history in a negative sense will make you two all the more intriguing. It's all about grabbing people's attention."

"Well said, Pansy," Zabini chortled. "I never realized how truly invested you were in this cause."

"Shut up, Blaise," Parkinson snapped. "I'm just saying I understand the logic here."

"Look," Hermione cut off their bickering. "I think we all agree this is the best way to go about it. Harry, starting next Saturday, you and Malfoy will be sitting at our sign-up table in the entrance hall for an hour following both breakfast and lunch. You will do the same on Sunday, and for the next three weekends until the contest."

Harry chanced a glance at Malfoy, who looked completely at ease, not at all bothered by this setup. He wondered why Malfoy had agreed to this in the first place, as he was sure Malfoy still despised him.

"Fine. I'll do it," Harry officially agreed.

"Of course you will, Potter," Malfoy replied. "Let's be honest, you never really had much of a choice."

Harry ignored Malfoy. Instead, he asked, "And what role will the rest of you be playing in this?" Despite no longer having any major objections to his assignment, Harry did resent that he had to play such a major part, while the others didn't have to do a thing.

"We will start hanging up fliers around the school, in addition to making sure everything is good to go come the day of the contest," Hermione prattled excitedly. "You know, keep in contact with the house elves, keep those who signed up for the event up to date, and all the other little details. We still have to decided on a location to do the actual baking, that really depends on how many students sign up. And we need ask the professors if they want to participate as judges. So we'll all be very busy as well!"

Ron groaned upon hearing how much there was to do. Zabini and Parkinson also seemed less than happy. It did make Harry feel marginally better.

"Well, I suppose that's it for today!" Hermione finished. "Thank you everyone! I just know this is going to be great!"

Everyone began heading for the door, except Harry. It took him some time to rise from his seat, his mind stuck on Malfoy and what they now had to set out to do together. Eventually, he did make for the exit, fulling intending to go straight to his dorm for a nice nap to clear his head.

"Potter," Malfoy's distinct voice called from behind him.

Harry gulped and slowly turned around, "Yes, Malfoy?"

He was surprised to find that they were now the only two left in the room. Malfoy took three long strides forward to stand directly in front of Harry. When those intense, grey eyes connected with his, Harry's breath hitched. Malfoy was standing so close that Harry caught a whiff of his sent; he smelled like soap, and just a mild hint of some sort of spiced cologne. It was divine.

"I was thinking you and I should get together this Friday evening to form a game plan."

"A-All r-right," Harry stuttered, finding it difficult to form a coherent thought.

"Lets say in the library? Seven o'clock?"

"Yeah... sounds good..." Harry murmured distractedly. He was hyper-aware of every little detail about Malfoy. Everything from the way his plump lips moved as they form words, to that delicate, yet manly, scent emanating from him. All of it was driving Harry mad.

He vaguely noticed Malfoy's eyebrow arch. "I'll see you then," Malfoy confirmed, his smooth voice sending a chill down Harry's spine.

"Mhmm, you will," Harry replied, fully aware that he was essentially mooning over Malfoy like a lovesick first year. He tried to tell himself firmly to _cut it out_ , but he couldn't help it.

Malfoy nodded curtly before heading for the door. Once he reached the threshold, he paused and turned back around. "And, Potter?"

"Yeah?" Harry said breathlessly.

"Don't be late." Malfoy winked, so subtly that Harry almost missed it. Then he was gone.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"Why does time speed up when you're dreading something?" Harry grumbled during breakfast on Friday. He then proceeded to bang his head repeatedly on the hard wood table.

The week since the last S.P.E.W. meeting had flown by for Harry. Now, in just a few short hours, he would be meeting Malfoy in the library. As much as he had initially been looking forward to working with Malfoy, he now feared he could not handle it. During the one, brief time they had been alone together, Harry had behaved atrociously. Merlin only knew how long this prepping tonight would take, or if Harry would be able to keep himself from looking like a total wanker.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said, grabbing him by the hair and forcefully pulling him upright to prevent him from hitting his head any more. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

"It's me and Malfoy," Harry replied gloomily. "All indications from our past point to it being a disaster." Although, their history of fighting was not what Harry was really worried about.

"You know," Hermione said, "I've spent a lot of time with him since the start of this year. He's changed a lot. I'm sure if you give him a chance, you'll see it too."

"Speaking of which," Ron cut in. "I don't know how I feel about you spending all this time with Malfoy."

"It's nothing to be worried about, Ron."

"You're sure he isn't trying to... I don't know..." Ron trailed off, appearing somewhat self-conscious. "I mean you don't think he might fancy you, do you?"

Hermione gave him a reassuring peck on the cheek. "Definitely not. Besides, even if he did, I wouldn't be interested."

"Well, I know you wouldn't." Despite his words, Ron did seem relieved to hear that. "But how can you be sure he doesn't feel that way about you?"

In a manner that was very unusual for Hermione, she giggled. "Trust me, I know."

Ron looked confused. Harry, on the other hand, could only hope he wasn't blushing. He was sure he knew exactly how Hermione was so sure Malfoy didn't have any feelings for her. He must have told her about his sexuality at some point during their time working on plans for the S.P.E.W. baking contest.

Ron pressed, "How could you possibly be so sure?"

"Because we've talked about it," Hermione replied. "I'll admit, at first I was worried he must have some ulterior motive for wanting to help me. So, I asked him. He explained that he could never see me that way, and I know he was being honest."

Ron pried further. "What was his explanation? How do you know he was being honest?"

"I don't think it's my place to say."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't think it's some big secret, Hermione. Zabini and Parkinson were happy to tell me."

"You know?" Hermione asked, giving him a calculating look.

"Know _what_?" Ron exclaimed.

Harry couldn't help it. He blurted out, "Malfoy's gay."

"Harry!" Hermione gasped in shock.

Ron's eyes widened comically. "Oh. Okay."

Harry knew Ron didn't care that he was gay, or think any differently of him. However, he also knew the topic made Ron a little uncomfortable, simply because he couldn't relate. Harry knew he tried his hardest to be supportive, and it was appreciated.

"Anyway Harry," Hermione broke the awkward moment of silence. "I'm sure you'll be fine tonight. Malfoy doesn't think or act in the ways he used to. When he first joined S.P.E.W., he apologized for being so horrible to me for all those years. Not once since we've started working together has he said a word to indicate he still thinks I'm less than him for being muggleborn. He's much different, and I can tell it's genuine." She paused, thoughtfully staring off into space. "Plus, he's really funny."

"He's funny?" Harry asked incredulously.

"He is," Hermione confirmed. "I do believe you two could get along very well if you put the past in the past."

"Just as long as you don't start snogging him, Harry," Ron said through bouts of laughter, as if the idea was ludicrous.

Now, Harry knew for sure he was blushing. He couldn't think of a thing to say in response. He noticed Hermione eyeing him with a knowing smile on her face, but she then changed the subject to the Charms exam they would be having that day. Harry was eternally grateful.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"You're late."

"Sorry," Harry muttered as he slid into the seat across from Malfoy. He had found him sitting at a table in the very back of the library. There were no other students in the area, he and Malfoy were entirely alone.

He was really only a couple minutes late, but he wasn't surprised Malfoy called him out on it. As the blond continued to drum his fingers on the table impatiently, Harry tried his hardest not to admire how effortlessly handsome he was. His expression was one of bored indifference. His head was tilted slightly downward, causing a few strands of his platinum hair to fall over his eyes. He wore a casual outfit, consisting of a well-fitted black sweater and no robe. Harry had never seen Malfoy look so relaxed before.

Harry wasn't sure where to start. He had assumed Malfoy would take charge, seeing as he had been the one to request this meeting in the first place. So far, though, Harry was getting nothing. He waited, resisting the urge to be the one to break the unbearable silence. Based on his past behavior, he feared he would say something stupid.

Eventually, Malfoy lifted his head, his eyes focusing on Harry. "How are you doing today?"

"I... W-What...?" It was the best Harry could manage under the circumstances. He couldn't decipher the look on Malfoy's face, but damn were his eyes stunning.

Malfoy rolled those stunning eyes. "Relax, Potter. I'm merely being polite. However, if you would rather jump right into planning, we can do that."

Harry wasn't sure how to respond. On one hand, they were only here to discuss how to get people to sign up for the baking contest. On the other, he thought of Hermione. She claimed she had gotten to know Malfoy during their own time planning. Could this be an opportunity for Harry to connect with Malfoy? Maybe. But what if he made things worse? He would have to spend the next few weekends in Malfoy's company regardless, and if he messed up now it would make things a thousand times more difficult. He was well aware that a big part of him wanted to get to know Malfoy better. But should he take that risk? Or should he take the safe rout and keep this strictly business?

Before Harry could make up his mind, his mouth decided for him. "I think I overthink too much."

Malfoy's brow rose in surprise, and a small, amused smirk appeared on his face. "I'd say if you're thinking about your tendency to overthink, then you definitely overthink too much."

Harry's snort of laughter surprised him. Apparently, Malfoy _could_ be funny, as Hermione had said. Even if it was in a snarky and sarcastic sort of way, it made him feel more at ease than he had been moments ago.

"If I may ask," Malfoy continued, "what are you overthinking about?"

Harry swallowed hard. Could he answer that honestly?

Apparently, he could. "Honestly? This. You and me." He paused. He needed a reason behind his concern, one that didn't involve his gradually intensifying interest in Malfoy. "I mean, there's no way we can get along and work together, is there?"

Malfoy took a moment to contemplate Harry's question before answering. "I will admit, I had my worries about that too. However, after spending time with Granger, I've come to learn that a lot has changed. And, believe it or not, I like that change... even if it means having to hang around Gryffindor's Chosen Hero, or whatever it is you're called these days."

Again, Harry snorted. He despised all those titles people had given him over the years. However, having Malfoy refer to them so jokingly, making it clear how ridiculous he thought they were, was refreshing.

"I won't lie," Malfoy continued, "I wanted to set up this meeting mainly to make sure there would be no altercations between you and me tomorrow. I mean, it's not like we are completely incompetent. Really, how much preparation do we need to sit at a table and tell people what we're doing?"

Harry laughed some more. "I suppose you're right. Especially for me since, apparently, I'm just the 'pretty face'."

He instantly felt uncomfortable again upon referencing Malfoy's _pretty face_ comment from last week. He feared it showed just how much that statement had stuck out in his mind.

Malfoy's grin lit up his already beautiful face. "Yes. That's all you're good for, Potter."

"Well, at least I'm good for something," Harry automatically replied, realizing too late how sullen he sounded.

Malfoy frowned. "You do realize I'm teasing, don't you?"

Harry shrugged. "I know. I guess I'm just not used to getting along with you. And besides..." Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "You're right. I'm not really good for anything."

He wished he could fall through the floor. How had he started telling Malfoy about all his fears and insecurities that had popped up since the end of the war?

The frown on Malfoy's face deepened. "You know that's not true."

"Do I?" Harry muttered under his breath.

"Potter, that is absolutely not true," Malfoy said firmly. Unexpectedly, he didn't stop there. "You are an incredible person. You naturally have many attributes that set you far above most people. I wish I was half the man you are. If I was, maybe I wouldn't have been on the wrong side. Still, I'm trying to move on. The war was rough for everyone, and I'm sure it was especially rough for you. But you have to try to move on too. That's all we can do. You will always be remembered for all you've done, and you should be. But you are so much more than just your name and who you were back then. There is so much more ahead of you. Don't overthink. Just live, because you can now."

Harry couldn't look Malfoy in the eye. It was as if Malfoy was reading his mind. Sadly, many details from the war still stuck out in Harry's mind as if it had been only yesterday. He knew he _did_ need to move on, even if that was easier said than done. In addition, Harry had started to worry about the pressure of having to live up to his own famous name for the rest of his life. He knew he couldn't do that. Everything was different now; _he_ was different now. But Malfoy was telling him to _just live_. In that moment, it occurred to him that he _could_ live. He realized he hadn't truly been able to do that for most of his life. Now was his opportunity.

He had no idea _why_ Malfoy was putting so much effort into alleviating all his fears and doubts. Malfoy could have taken this opportunity to go off on Harry. He could still hate Harry, and he would be justified in a sense. Yes, Harry had vanquished Voldemort; he had saved the wizarding world. However, in doing so, he had shattered the only world Malfoy had ever known. Regardless, Malfoy was comforting Harry, reassuring him more than anyone else had been able to.

Once his head stopped spinning and he was able to think clearly again, Harry replied with a simple, "Thank you." He hoped he successfully expressed the sincerity of his gratitude.

"Of course, Potter. It's only the truth." Harry chanced a glance at Malfoy, and saw that he was smirking yet again. "But don't expect anything like that from me again. Now, let's figure out how we're going to go about this recruitment business."

Harry grinned, glad for the change of subject. As grateful as he was for all Malfoy had said, he didn't want to dwell on it too much.

"I thought you said there's nothing more to it than sitting at a table."

"In theory, yes," Malfoy nodded. "And I do already have some ideas as to how we can sell it, which I should probably share with you. But mostly, I need to be able to tell Granger we actually accomplished something here."

"Good point," Harry said with a chuckle.

"As much as I've grown to like and appreciate her, she can be a scary at times. It's best to do as she wants, and do it well. Preferably the first time."

"Let me ask you, Malfoy." Harry decided now was the time to get to the bottom of Malfoy's reason for joining S.P.E.W.. "What made you so interested in helping Hermione? In supporting house elf rights?"

Harry swore he saw a light pink flush spread across Malfoy's cheeks. "Let me guess, you think the only reason I'm doing this is to make some sort of impression on Granger? That I fancy her or something?"

"No," Harry replied. "I already know that's not it."

Malfoy shot him a piercing look. "And how exactly do you know that?"

It was Harry's turn to blush. "Oh, well... based on what I've heard... I just thought..."

"You know, I can't believe I actually trusted Granger not to tell her idiot friends."

"No!" Harry didn't want Malfoy thinking Hermione had betrayed his trust, because she hadn't. She had been the one trying to keep his secret. " _Your_ friends told me. Zabini and Parkinson, not Hermione."

Malfoy looked more than a little irritated now. "When did you talk to Blaise and Pansy?"

"They came to me a while ago," Harry replied. "They were worried about you. But that's beside the point. I did think you might have a thing for Hermione at first. But when I mentioned it, they didn't waste a second telling me that you couldn't because you're... you're..."

"Gay? Surely you can say it, Potter," Malfoy hissed. "Some friends I have."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, although he wasn't quite sure what he was sorry for. "I didn't think it was a big deal because, like I said, they had no problem telling me."

"It's not a big deal, not really..." Malfoy mumbled, more to himself than Harry. "I just can't believe they told _you_ , of all people."

Harry wasn't offended. He supposed he and Malfoy had not been on good terms at that time. Hell, he couldn't imagine how angry he would have been if Ron or Hermione had told Malfoy about _his_ sexuality.

That thought made him wonder... should he tell Malfoy about himself? If only because he could relate, _not_ so they could suddenly start snogging (although, try as he might not to think it, that idea wasn't at all unappealing).

He decided against it. It would only make things even more awkward. Besides, Malfoy technically hadn't come out to him; his friends had done that for him. This would be Harry coming out to someone who wasn't a close friend. He wasn't sure he could do that yet.

After a long, uncomfortable silence, Harry said, "Let's forget it. We should focus on the event."

Malfoy nodded stiffly. "Right."

They ended up staying in the library until it closed. They did work on plans for the following day, but they also spent a great deal of time chit-chatting about things completely unrelated to the baking contest. Despite their not-entirely-pleasant conversation earlier, Harry found himself enjoying Malfoy's company, and laughing more than he had in a long time.

It wasn't until Harry was back in his dorm, lying in his bed, that he realized Malfoy had completely dodged his question about why he was so interested in S.P.E.W..

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

 **TBC...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, here's chapter three! Hope you all enjoy. And reviews are always loved and appreciated!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything about Harry Potter. Anything you recognize is NOT mine.**

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Chapter Three

The idea of spending an hour in Malfoy's company now seemed much less frightening to Harry, even considering it was technically for S.P.E.W..

The next morning, he found himself scarfing down his breakfast as quickly as possible, anxious to make his way to the entrance hall to meet Malfoy. He only stopped inhaling his food when he caught Hermione watching him. He shot her an indignant look when she burst into uncontrollable giggles. Luckily, Ron was too busy with his own breakfast to notice either of their odd behaviors.

Although, really, there was no reason for Harry to rush, since he and Malfoy had already agreed on a time to meet. They had decided they should go to the entrance hall fifteen minutes before the end of breakfast. This would give them some time to make sure everything was set up, in addition to ensuring that as many students as possible would pass them on their way out of the Great Hall.

When the time came, Harry said goodbye to Ron and Hermione. He noticed Malfoy rising from the Slytherin table at the same moment he stood up. They met at the doors of the Great Hall.

"Potter," Malfoy greeted. His voice entirely lacked the disdain and malice Harry was used to hearing from him.

"Hey, Malfoy." Harry wanted to kick himself for how breathless he sounded.

They exited the hall together, and Malfoy led him over to the grand staircase. Set up on one side, next to the end of the banister, was a table. Hanging from its front, with the help of some Spellotape, was a flashy, electric-green sign with bold, dark-purple lettering. It read:

 _The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.)_

 _We welcome you to join us in a BAKING CONTEST!_

 _An afternoon of FUN competition with our house elf friends!_

 _Learn more about these wonderful magical creatures, and show your support!_

"Wow," Harry said. "That's... er... a _lot_ of words for one sign."

Malfoy snorted. "Believe it or not, this is the abridged version. Granger had written out about three paragraphs for it initially. It took a lot of convincing to get her to cut it down at all. I had to assure her I would do a good enough job explaining it further."

It was Harry's turn to laugh. "You know, that doesn't surprise me at all."

The two stepped around the table and took their seats in the chairs already set up for them. On the table were stacks of both S.P.E.W. pamphlets and the fliers that had been made for this event.

"And now we wait," Malfoy sighed.

Harry gulped. He wasn't sure what to expect next. He began tapping his foot nervously.

"So, Potter," Malfoy broke the silence. He couldn't fully hide his snickering as he asked, "Are you prepared for the flocks of fans that are likely to come your way any minute now?"

Harry's instinctive response was an irritated groan. "You're hilarious. That kind of attention is bloody annoying, I'll have you know."

"I must admit..." Malfoy wasn't even attempting to contain his chuckling now. "I would have thought you'd be attached to some lucky girl's hip by now. If you were, it might even put an end to the Harry Potter mania all the girls seem to be swept up in."

Harry _really_ did not want to discuss the topic of romantic relationships with Malfoy. Especially since he was now very aware of just how gorgeous he thought Malfoy was, and particularly so when he was laughing. More importantly, they were now getting along quite nicely. Harry had never thought he'd see the day. The more time he spent with Malfoy, the more he found himself genuinely _liking_ Malfoy.

He had to force out his answer. "Well I'm not."

Malfoy looked puzzled as his head tilted to the side. "And why is that?"

Harry raked a hand through his hair, likely making it even more unruly than it naturally was. "I don't know. I'm just not interested in any of those fan girls." He intentionally put the word _fan_ in front of the word _girls_.

But Malfoy found a hole. "What about the Weasley girl? Surely you're comfortable with her, considering how close you are with her family. And weren't you two already together at some point?"

"We were," Harry muttered. "Not anymore though."

"Why not?"

Harry suppressed a growl and abruptly turned the discussion from himself to Malfoy. "What about you? Are you seeing anyone?"

"Why do you ask, Potter?" Malfoy murmured, his lips curving into an impish smirk. "Are you interested?"

Harry could only sputter incomprehensibly until Malfoy took pity on him.

"Relax, Potter, that wasn't a serious question." He let out a long sigh. "No, I'm not seeing anyone."

Harry tried to sound nonchalant as he asked, "No one you're interested in?"

Again, Malfoy sighed. "Is there someone I'm interested in? Yes. But the more important question would be is he interested in me? And the answer to that is a definite no."

"How do you know he's not?"

The sudden intensity of Malfoy's gaze startled Harry. "I asked him. He reaction said all I need to know."

Harry felt like he was missing something. He was getting the impression that Malfoy was hoping he would pick up on something significant in what he had just said. Harry thought hard about it, but couldn't figure out what it could mean.

"Sorry," he mumbled, not sure if it was an appropriate response.

"Nothing to be sorry about, Potter. It is what it is."

Harry wanted to say more, but he didn't know where he could go from there. He still felt like there was something more to be taken from Malfoy's words, but he couldn't connect the dots in his head. He opened his mouth, hoping he would come up with something, _anything_ to say. Before he could get a word out, though, he was interrupted.

"H-Harry Potter?"

Harry's head spun around, and he was surprised to find that students had begun to trickle out of the Great Hall without him noticing. The girl who had spoken was a petite Hufflepuff with curly blond hair who, if he was to hazard a guess, was in her fifth year. She took cautious steps towards the table.

"Er, hi," Harry said to her. Realizing he should be a bit more friendly and polite, he added, "Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"I'm Elisabeth," she responded timidly, her cheeks bright red. "I was wondering what all this is." She gestured to the sign and the leaflets on the table.

"Oh, right," Harry muttered. He thought back to everything Malfoy had told him to say. "We're having an event, a baking contest."

The first step, Malfoy had said, was to ease them in by presenting it an fun activity. Bringing up the house elf aspect of it would come after.

"Oh?" Elisabeth said with mild interest. "Just for fun?"

"Yes, absolutely for fun," Malfoy jumped in. Elisabeth looked taken aback by his sudden entrance to the conversation. "However, we will be competing against some of the school house elves. They work so hard, they deserve some of the fun too. It'll be a great opportunity to see all they do for us, and make them feel appreciated." He paused before finishing with, "I'm Draco Malfoy, by the way. It's _lovely_ to meet you."

Then, something incredible happened. Malfoy smiled. It was a truly dazzling smile. Even though it was directed at Elisabeth, Harry felt as if he had been stunned. Literally. An _expelliarmus_ straight to the heart.

"Oh!" Elisabeth squeaked, he face becoming even more flushed, if that was possible. "I see."

"We will be in groups of about three," Malfoy explained, still beaming beautifully. "So, you could invite some of your friends to join in with you... if you do decide to take part, that is." He quirked an eyebrow at her and, damn, did he look sexy.

"W-Well," Elisabeth answered as her eyes flashed to look at Harry, then back to Malfoy. "I've never even met any of the school house elves before... I suppose I could see if my friends want to..."

"Wonderful! Here, take this." Malfoy handed her one of the fliers. "We will be here for the next three weekends, then the contest will take place the first Saturday after term ends. Think it over, and ask your friends. You can let Harry and me know your decision whenever it is convenient for you."

Harry nearly fell out of his seat. _Did Malfoy just call him by his first name?_

"Okay," Elisabeth smiled. "I'll talk to you later then." After one last long, adoring look at Harry and Malfoy, she pranced away.

Once he was sure she was gone, Harry turned to Malfoy. He made a conscious effort to keep his jaw in place, otherwise he was sure it would drop to the floor.

"See?" Malfoy said nonchalantly. "There's nothing to it."

Harry shook his head, amazed. "You charming bloody bastard."

With a proud smirk plastered on his face, Malfoy replied, "I do believe that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Potter."

Before he could stop himself, Harry said, "Oh, so it's Potter again, is it?"

Malfoy raised a questioning eyebrow. "Pardon me?"

"Before," Harry mumbled, wishing he hadn't brought it up. "You used my first name while you were talking to Elisabeth."

Malfoy shrugged. "I was playing the part, that's all."

Harry frowned. "Playing what part?"

"The part in which you and I are friends."

Hearing that hurt Harry more than he would have expected it to. He averted his eyes from Malfoy. "Ah. Gotcha."

Harry had thought he and Malfoy were making a lot of improvement with each other. Sure, maybe they weren't quite friends. Harry had thought they were headed that way, though. Now, Malfoy was making it more than clear that he never wanted that to happen.

"Potter," Malfoy said after a while, bringing Harry back to reality. "I didn't mean–"

"H-Harry Potter?"

Two Gryffindor girls, who looked a little younger than Elisabeth, approached the table. Harry and Malfoy repeated the process from earlier, and to much success. Both girls signed up for the contest.

Harry tried to ignore his feelings. He knew Malfoy had been about to give an apology, or something close to one, before they had been interrupted. Still, he felt inexplicably upset. He pushed those feelings away and continued on for the full hour with Malfoy. When they parted ways, it was with a forced politeness that saddened Harry even more.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"We got four people to sign up," Harry informed Hermione that evening.

"Hmm..." Hermione hummed. "It's a start I suppose."

"I'm surprised you got any," Ron declared bluntly. Hermione shot him a glare. He ignored it.

"A lot of people came by the table though," Harry added. "We ended up handing out a lot of fliers. At the very least most were interested enough to take one and say they'd consider it."

"That's promising!" Hermione said, her excitement mounting. "After all, it's only been a day since we announced the contest. I'm sure once the word spreads, more will commit to joining!"

"When you say a lot of _people_ came by," Ron said through a cheeky grin, "do you mean the entire female population of Hogwarts?"

"Oh, Ron." Hermione gave him a firm smack to the back of his head. He flinched and grimaced. "Grow up."

"Come off it!" Ron exclaimed. "We all know that's why you put Harry up front like this."

"That is not true," Hermione insisted, although did send Harry an apologetic smile. "Regardless, it seems like I made the right choice. Harry and Malfoy did well today, all things considered."

"Speaking of Malfoy," Ron said to Harry, "how'd you survive with the git?"

Harry answered as honestly as he could. "Not bad. I may be the initial draw to this thing, but Malfoy's the real charmer. I think all those girls are in love with _him_ now."

He hoped nothing in his tone gave away that the biggest result of his time spent with Malfoy was that he was now extremely agitated. Malfoy's voice had remained stuck in his head all day, repeatedly reminding him that they would never be anything other than rivals and enemies. Harry was sure that was the case, no matter how well they seemed to be getting on lately. Malfoy had made his feelings on the subject perfectly clear.

Ron cackled. "Well then all the better for you, all the worse for him."

"Yeah..." was all Harry could mumble in response.

It took Harry a minute to realize Hermione was eyeing him closely. _Too_ closely. It made him twitch in discomfort. He cursed the fact that she could read him so well.

He was suddenly filled with the overwhelming need to escape from the common room, and his friends. A second later, he jumped out of his seat.

"I think I'll go to bed early. I'm really tired."

Hermione was obviously concerned and ready to question him, but Harry acted quickly. Before she or Ron could get a word out, he was halfway up the staircase to his dorm.

He wasn't the least bit tired. He just didn't want Hermione asking him about Malfoy, especially in front of Ron. Logically, he knew she was smart enough not to do such a thing. Still, he wanted to be alone.

He entered his dorm with no intention of going to bed. But what should he do? He paced the length of the room, antsy and still quite peeved. He needed to do _something_ , or he was sure he would drive himself mad.

He went to his trunk and began digging through it, desperate to find something in there to distract himself. Mixed in with the rest of the mess in his trunk, he found the Marauder's Map. Once it was in his hands, he knew he couldn't resist. He took the map to his bed, closed the curtains around himself, and took out his wand.

" _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."_

The ink slowly spread across the old parchment, taking the form of the map of Hogwarts. Harry quickly searched for the Slytherin common room. He carefully read each labeled name in both the common room and the dormitories before concluding that Malfoy was not there.

He combed the rest of the map with his eyes until he found Malfoy. He was alone in the library. It wasn't too late, but late enough that Harry knew the library would be closed for the night. What was Malfoy doing there by himself at this time?

Without thinking about what he was doing, he went back into his trunk, this time knowing exactly what he wanted. He quickly located his invisibility cloak and wasted no time throwing it over himself. He made sure he was fully covered before heading back out of his dorm and down the staircase to the common room. Many students were still up, including Ron and Hermione. He made his way to the portrait hole, taking extra caution not to knock into anyone.

Once in the corridor, he crept to the library. The door creaked as he pushed it opened, but he knew Malfoy was not close enough to the entrance to have heard the noise. Harry found Malfoy reading at the same table in the back where they had sat together just yesterday.

Harry didn't know what to do now that he was here. He knew it would be incredibly creepy if he just pulled off the cloak and announced his presence. He might scare Malfoy, maybe even to the point that the blond would reflexively hurl a defensive hex his way. Why hadn't he thought this through more? He contemplated just turning back around and leaving. After a minute, he decided to do just that.

Except, as he turned, he stumbled. One of his shoelaces had come untied without his knowledge. As he steadied himself, he knew that he must have made some noise. He glanced back at Malfoy and saw that, sure enough, he was no longer looking at his book. Instead, he was staring at just about the spot where Harry stood, still invisible.

"I have no idea how you found me," Malfoy's voice broke the dead silence of the empty library. "But I do know you're here somewhere, Potter, hiding under that magnificent cloak of yours."

Seeing as he had no other viable options, Harry took off the cloak. Malfoy smirked.

"Well, fancy seeing you here," Malfoy mocked.

"Whatever," Harry said in what he hoped was an offhand tone. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." When Harry didn't answer, Malfoy continued. "I like coming here at night when no one's here. It's peaceful."

"Sorry," Harry said, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to barge in. I'll just leave."

Malfoy shrugged. "If you wish. However, I'm not opposed to the right company from time to time."

Harry studied him, trying to figure out if Malfoy was saying _he_ could be _the right company_. He took a tentative step toward the table. When Malfoy didn't protest, he hurriedly moved to sit down across from him.

Malfoy turned his attention back to his book, while Harry looked everywhere but at him. Eventually, Malfoy closed the book and sighed.

"So, what _are_ you doing here?"

Harry bit his lip anxiously. Obviously, he couldn't tell Malfoy about his map, or tell him that he had purposefully sought him out. He went with, "I was just taking a walk and decided to come here."

"Under your invisibility cloak?" Malfoy asked suspiciously. "Is there really need for that? It's not curfew quite yet. Plus, I doubt _you_ would get into any trouble for being out of your dorm after hours, oh great Savior."

Harry looked down at is hands in his lap. This was all true, of course. "Sometimes it's nice not to be noticed."

"Yet you accepted my invitation to sit with me. I would assume, if you didn't want to be noticed, you're in the mood to be alone."

"Not necessarily," Harry mumbled, knowing he was not making any sense.

"So, I'm the exception?" Malfoy asked through a small smile, not his usual smirk.

"I was trying to leave when you heard me." This, at least, was the truth. "But like the klutz I am, I tripped. I didn't intend to disturb you."

"Still, I have a feeling that something's bothering you," Malfoy astutely noted. "Something to do with me. Whether or not you're willing to admit it, I fell confident in saying you intentionally came to the library, somehow already knowing I was here."

Harry refused to respond, not willing to admit that Malfoy was one hundred percent correct. How Malfoy had guessed all this, he didn't know. He felt beyond humiliated for being so obviously upset by what Malfoy had said earlier that day. He could only hope Malfoy wouldn't make him feel any worse about it now.

"I didn't mean we can't be friends," Malfoy unexpectedly announced. "I meant we aren't currently friends."

"I know," Harry replied. Although, based on his thoughts throughout the day, he knew he really _didn't_ know that. "I guess I just didn't fully realize I wanted to be friends with you until you said that."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "And why do you want to be friends with me?"

Harry didn't have to think about his answer. "Like you said yesterday, a lot has changed. Hermione saw it first. I'm seeing it now. I don't want to hate anymore. Not even you, and especially not now that I'm getting to know you. Because I... like you."

He was well aware how awkward and lame his last statement was. He prayed Malfoy interpreted it as _I like you as a friend_. Harry knew that wasn't true, he was growing to like Malfoy as much more than just a friend. But he was sure Malfoy could never see him in the same way. He didn't want to ruin what could at the very least be a _friendship_ , which to him would be better than nothing. He had to be careful, since he was already on pretty thin ice as it was.

"Well," Malfoy said slyly, "If you want to be my friend, you'll have to make it up to me."

Harry snorted, half amused, half worried. "Make what up to you?"

"I once tried to befriend you, but you rather rudely rejected me." He shot Harry a half-hearted glare. Harry could tell he was no longer angry about the incident during their first year that had sparked seven years of pure animosity between them. "If you really want to be my friend now, you'll have to work for it."

Harry chuckled, feeling overwhelming relief that Malfoy was once again joking with him. "You do realize you were a complete arse to me for _years_ following that. I don't owe you shit."

Malfoy sighed melodramatically. "I suppose you have a point. We'll call it even, then?"

"I'd say that's fair," Harry said through a grin.

"Just don't expect me to call you by your given name anytime soon," Malfoy said with a mock-shudder in disgust. "You've been 'Potter' to me for seven years. That doesn't just change overnight."

"I get it," Harry replied, and he did get it. Malfoy certainly wasn't _Draco_ to him yet. "Sorry, it just threw me off earlier I guess."

"Understandable."

"Thanks." It didn't seem as though Malfoy thought anything weird about his behavior. If he did, though, he wasn't making a big deal about it, for which Harry was grateful.

"Now, while I have you here," Malfoy said, "I don't think four is an acceptable number of people for one day. We'll have to turn it up a notch tomorrow."

Harry grinned. "Have you got more up your sleeve besides your charming words and killer smile?"

"Why, Potter, I do believe I'm blushing," Malfoy drawled sarcastically. Although, Harry was sure _he_ was the one blushing at his own comment.

"Shut it, you know you dazzled every one of those girls today."

"If anyone could dazzle them, it would be you, Potter."

"Liar," Harry said. "I'm nothing more than the initial attraction. You're the one drawing them in."

"You do have a point there," Malfoy said thoughtfully. "Which is why I believe we need to get you charming their knickers off as well."

"Jeez, Malfoy!" Harry nearly shouted, his voice echoing in the large, empty room. He was no prude, but Malfoy's wording surprised him. He did laugh after getting over his initial shock, though. "I guess if that's how you want to put it."

"What, is that idea not appealing to you?" Malfoy taunted. "I don't see why it wouldn't be."

Again, Harry was sure he must be flushed deep red. This time, though, Malfoy seemed to take note of it. Harry could tell the exact moment it clicked in Malfoy's mind.

Before Harry could say anything, Malfoy asked, "Unless the idea of charming any girls knickers off really _isn't_ appealing to you?"

"I... I don't know."

"You do know, Potter," Malfoy said, almost soothingly. "I can tell you know. Do you think I wasn't at one point in the same boat you're in now?"

"Fine!" Harry exclaimed, not quite believing he was admitting this. "You're right. Happy?"

So quietly that Harry barely heard it, Malfoy mumbled. "No, not really..."

Harry wanted to ask what he meant by that, but Malfoy didn't give him the chance.

"Anyway, Potter, we should probably focus more on recruiting tactics."

"Yeah, okay," Harry muttered, slightly disappointed.

He half wished Malfoy wanted to talk about this subject more. Harry had never known anyone who could truly relate. Even though he knew it might not be a good idea to discuss this with Malfoy, considering the feelings he was developing for him, he almost _needed_ to talk about it. But Malfoy had made it clear that wasn't an option.

He listened to Malfoy talk more strategy for the baking contest until he couldn't take it anymore. Rather abruptly, he shot up from his seat.

"I have to go. I'm tired."

If Harry didn't know better, he would have said that there was a touch of concern in Malfoy's expression. He replied slowly, "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow after breakfast."

"Sure," Harry said distractedly. He hastily pulled on his invisibility cloak once more, vaguely taking note of the uncharacteristically dejected look on Malfoy's face. He didn't think too much about it as he rushed out of the library.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

 **TBC...**


End file.
